 The day is set to dawn on a new season and Leeds fans have a real headache in their hands, who will be our stopper this season? It was probably one of the first things that supporters were looking for when the lineup for the Oxford game was announced. Felix Wiedwald was the man given the 'nod' so it may seen that Thomas Christiansen has picked his number one for the 2017/18, or has he? This decision really has TC in a pickle, should he go with experience and one of the positives of last season? Or should he pick a younger, more wildcard option who was signed for the first team? Not to say that Green doesn't still have a shout of being picked as Leeds' man between the posts next Sunday, it really has been a whirlwind for both stoppers this preseason.  Both Keepers have the plus sides, but who's the better option?
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 Like many fans over the past few years, I've never been for or against Doukara playing for Leeds, but with new additions at the club, is his career at Leeds almost over? 'The Duke' has shown both good and bad over his three year stay at the club and like any player that pulls on the white shirt, if you play bad people will speak out or if you play good, people will compare you to Messi. However, Doukara has hardly been seen during this summers preseason and at this time doesn't look like a player that will be at Leeds after the transfer window slams shut come September. Doukaras goal against Nottingham Forest will go down as one of the greatest goals I have personally seen at Elland Road, along with Sol Bambas similar goal against Wolves in April last year and Bradley Johnsons belter against Arsenal. But when it comes to his individual performance Doukara really is a mixed bag. I myself seem to float between asking him to be thrown on the field on occasions and then complaining he's in the team a few weeks later. The main difference is when he is dropped, the next game he plays an absolute stormer and this has been the case for his entire career at Leeds. Doukara was a main forward during Neil Redfearns spell in charge of the club, bringing goals and a good partnership with Mirco Antenucci to a struggling team at the time. He then dropped out of the side for some time and rumours were rife that he would not be part of Garry Monk's plans. This however changed last season as the forward was trained into a new position as a left sided winger, to which he pulled out some fantastic displays. With Leeds now signing Ezgjan Alioski and making the permanent signing of Hadi Sacko though, it looks unlikely that Doukara will be given a second stab at that position. The 25-year old could also struggle with being an option upfront with Chris Wood, Marcus Antonsson should he stay and new signing Caleb Ekuban all above him in the pecking order.   In a new monthly feature, Ben Parker will be talking all things Leeds United; past, present and future. Here's his first piece as a writer for We All Love Leeds, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! We are now nearing the end of the two words every footballer dreads hearing; pre-season. Not going to lie, it's horrible but I would also say it's the most important part of the season. There's no easy way round it and you know you're gonna ache and be grumpy (well that's what the Mrs says) for the next few weeks but when you come out at the other side, in this case the 5th August, you know you will have given yourself a fitness base that will hopefully see you through a gruelling season ahead. It's been an interesting summer to say the least, but one everyone should be excited about. The most important part is bedding in our new signings and the quicker that happens, the better for the squad as a whole. There are many ways to do this and let me throw you back to my first pre season tour.  Can the new signings learn a thing or two from a now experienced academy graduate Parker?  Well there you have it dear readers a new away shirt for 2017/18... in BLACK! It didn't hurt the eyes like the Macron 'glow in the dark' effort and model Chris Wood will be used to the colour as it is used for his country New Zealand. KAPPA have now made six shirts in three season's and most will stand the test of time but the last two will raise more than a few comments. Nowadays kit launches are big business, the home kit was an event that season ticket holders had a first look at it (shame the members didn't get a exclusive look at the away!) and was hugely popular and by what I'm told was a very profitable with most that attended taking at least one of shirts away from the event. Leeds have been through a couple of colour changes, blue, yellow, azurie blue, dark blue, 'mucky gold' and blue, half and half (blue and yellow, green and blue and even... RED! Fans still see the yellow of the 1970's as a colour they link the club to and to be honest the shirt shown below is one of my favourites of all time.  There's also been some 'different' styles that the so called 'whites' have adorned over the years. Here's a quick highlight:  I expect that you'll see a few stretched black shirts around in the next few days, especially in Leeds 11 as Leeds play there last preseason friendly against Oxford United tomorrow.
I like the new kits, but I hope that the owners see fit to ask the fans what design they would like when the centenary season comes around. Whatever design's they wear, let's hope the players play with vigour to make sure this is the most successful season we've had in a long time. What's your thought's on them both? Feel free to leave a comment on the bottom of the article. MOT By Keith Ingham  I was doing my usual twitter browse for lufc news at work, why not? And I came across a tweet that was as bleak as it was informative. The tweet started with a rather strong prediction that this summers activity at the club could be the end of days rather than a new beginning under new management. Stating the obvious of a new owner partnered with a new manager and playing staff, it went on to say that Leeds have signed players with no Championship experience and therefore will struggle to match that of certain clubs in the league we so want to escape. Although reading this made me consider my own mortality, it did make me realise that yes we may have a new owner who hasn't had much experience running a club, but look at the work he has done so far; Leeds Ladies is with the club and so is Elland Road. In regards to Thomas Christiansen, it's hard to judge a new head coach until the team has settled after the first few months of the season. He's had some good experience in Cyprus and will come with a European footballing mind and that could be a major positive.  Can TC prove the doubters wrong and start the season with a bang? The lump it up the field to Chris Wood tactic will never work unless Leeds go all out on a striker. However, playing into our wheel house with the depth we have in midfield and upgrades we have on the flanks, we could not only be seeing attractive football at Elland Road, but 3 points.
To throw a few points into the mix, Leeds have signed Egzjan Alioski and Caleb Ekuban for a combined fee of around £2.6million. Ashley Fletcher, a man who made less than 10 substitute appearances for West Ham picking up one goal has signed for Boro for a reported £7million. Sure, Fletcher spent a good season with Barnsley in League One but is he really what we'd class as Championship proven? In short, hell no! We aren't a club that can throw money about for laughs, but we can spend within our means and invest in young talent. That's exactly what we've done and another point; Alioski and Ekuban scored a combined 34 goals last season, I know who I'd prefer. Instead of looking at a bleak outlook remember years gone by when we've seen dire players join the club for one last payday and consider that past a faint memory. Progress is progress and any move forward is a good move in my books. Let's give the head coach and players a chance, they've not even kicked a ball yet! Do I think we're heading for a perfect storm? Not at all. Do I think that there'll be a mix of up and downs during the season? Hell yeah, this is football and Leeds United! By Ryan Ingham  Leeds United look set to complete their pursuit of Filip Helander as Bologna give the green light for the player to discuss terms. The talented centre back has been on the clubs radar since the start of summer, staging a dream partnership with fellow compatriot Pontus Jansson. The Swedish pair look set to reunite after spending their youth career together at Swedish top flight club Malmo in which they created a very formidable partnership, only conceding an average of less than 1 goal per game. The giant Swede stands at an impressive 6'3 and will be a towering force with Jansson who stands at an even taller 6'4.  Could a Jansson/Helander partnership trump that of last seasons heroic duo? Helander is said to have a €5million release clause in his Bologna contract having only signed permanently for the club in January after a successful loan spell. Leeds are willing to pay the large fee for the twice capped Swedish defender having already showing an impressive transfer acumen and bank balance.
Leeds just missed out on the playoffs last season and with new owner Andrea Radrizzani at the helm this summer have spent over £12million on signings this summer, with several high profile foreign players joining the club. Helander would join the list of players who have little to none experience in the Championship. However, in Italy you are afforded more time on the ball than most leagues, something that does not happen in the Championship. This can only be a plus if Helander is anything like his former teammate Jansson, who relishes in getting stuck in. Should Leeds confirm the signing of this formidable centre half, the club will be making a large statement about their intentions this season, with the hopes that a top six finish is a possibility this season. Is Helander a magnificent capture for the club? Do you think this will elevate Pontus' game? Have your say in the comments below! By Ryan Ingham  On Tuesday it was announced that Leeds United and Burnley had finally agreed on a compensation package for full back Charlie Taylor.
The fee is said to be around £6million with add-ons that will rise to around £7million, a hefty fee and more than what was predicted by many supporters and journalists. With the deal agreed and Taylor already putting pen to paper on a four year deal at Turf Moor, the burning question is what will Leeds do with this money? Could the money be a fee that somewhat balances the books or is it more money in the war chest for TC and co to grab a few more signings. Leeds have had a busy summer so far and a costly one at that. Their highest fees paid since 2004 came with the signings of Pontus Jansson and Samu Saiz for a believed £3.5mil and £3mil respectively. Then there are the other seven signings including Alioski (£2mil), Sacko (£1.7mil), Mateusz Klich (£1.4mil), Wiedwald (£450k), Caleb Ekuban (£400k) and then the loan signing of Matthew Pennington and the free signing of Vurnon Anita and any signing bonus he may have had Leeds are well over £12million spent this window.  The month's between May and July usually are never quiet at Leeds and this year followed a regular routine. An old Head Coach dispatched after a season, new one brought in after a multitude of names had been thrown 'into the hat'. It was arrivderci Massimo Cellino and ciao Andrea Radrizzani as the two Italians agreed the sale of Leeds United FC, no figure given but rumoured to be quite a few quid! The ground bought back for a considerable amount of money, just short of 20 million pounds if we are to believe the rumours. Finally an owner (Radrizzani) who did what others had promised but failed to do, he put his money where his mouth was! The new owner then brought in trusted allies to help him run the club, Angus Kinnear as Chief Executive, Ivan Bravo as Director of Strategy, Andre Tegner a Director and Victor Orta the new Director of Football. Ben Mansford left the club as part of the restructure. Thomas Christiansen is now in the Head Coach's chair, the latest in a long line of people given the opportunity to take Leeds United to the next level. He is joined by Julio Banuelos and Paul Butler as his assistant's and Marcos Abad as goalkeeping coach.  Will TC have the magic touch at Leeds United? Garry Monk and his entire backroom staff has departed, Beattie and Flahaven have joined him at Middlesborough, Pep Clotet is now manager at Oxford United FC, who Leeds United will play in their final preseason fixture at Elland Road this Saturday. We wish Pep every success in his new appointment. New Players In Felix Wienwald: Goalkeeper - Previously at Werder Bremen Pontus Jansson: Defender - Torino (previously on loan) Hadi Sacko: Midfielder - Sporting B (Previously on loan) Mateusz Klich: Midfielder - FC Twente Samu Siaz: Midfield / Striker - SD Huesca Caleb Ekuban: Striker - Chievo Verona Ezjian Alioski: Midfielder / Striker - FC Lugano Vernon Anita: Defender / Midfielder- Newcastle United Mathew Pennington: Defender - Everton (season long loan) Players Out Luke Murphy: Season loan to Burton Albion Lewie Coyle: Season loan to Fleetwood Town Charlie Taylor: Tribunal fee to be decided, to Burnley Giuseppe Bellusci: Contract cancelled. Marco Silvestri: undisclosed fee to Hellas Verona Jordan Boraka and Ross Turnbull both were given free transfers  Alioski, Pennington and Samu Saiz could be instant first team stars at Leeds United |
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